Pure
by Lakura
Summary: pure: Free from anything that damages, weakens, or contaminates innocent clean
1. The Hanyou and the Miko

_**Chapter One: The Hanyou and the Miko**_

She sat at her desk, idly fingering the shikon no tama, it's pinkish glow illuminating her fingers slightly. Naraku defeated, the jewel shards collected...it appeared as though their journey had ended. The miko sighed, her eyes gazing out her bedroom window expectantly. If that was true, it sure didn't seem like it. They had tried using the jewel shortly after it had been completed, each comming up with a different wish, only to find that none of the wishes worked. Miroku had wished for all of the company's saftey, a simple wish yet not one that had worked. Sango had wished for the return of her brother, who had died in the battle of Naraku, still no response from the jewel. Shippou had wished for a father figure, of any sort, but the jewel seemed to ignore this wish as well. InuYasha had made his wish in private, and had told no one of his desires, but the jewel had obviously not answered him either for, no matter what they seemed to try, the shikon no tama remained impure. Not to mention, now more than ever InuYasha was gone off on his 'trips', refusing to tell anyone where he was really going, though deep down...Kagome knew. He was sneaking off to see Kikyou, and though the reason for his frequent visits may have something to do with the shikon jewel, it didn't make her feel any less upset. Would he ever see it? Would he ever be able to tell that she felt this way about him? 'I love him' she thought, sadly, 'when did I figure that out?' Oh, what did it matter, anyway? She loved him, and that was that. But she'd rather battle one thousand Narakus before admitting that to him. Sango had voiced her opinion about it many times, most reccently, just yesterday...

_Sango smiled, almost sadly, at Kagome, shaking her head as she watched Kagome stare at InuYasha retreating back. Kagome blushed, suddenly aware how obviuos she was being, and looked back at the exterminator. "Tell him, Kagome, there's no better time." Kagome shrugged off her friend's comment and looked intently at the ground beneath her._

_"He's...occupied...with the jewel and, well, other _stuff_..." Sango rolled her eyes, wishing she could make her see, that InuYasha really, truely felt the same, despite Kagome's humble thoughts..._

_"If you mean his sneaking off, you know that's just because of the Shikon no tama problem we're having, even if he IS going to see Kikyou." Kagome forced a smile for her friend, silently disagreeing with her words._

_"Maybe..." Sango bit her lip. Who was she to point fingers? When had SHE ever confessed her feelings to that certain monk...Kagome didn't bring that up, though, not today, for she was already deep in her own thoughts._

Kagome frowned at the memory. She'd always appreciated Sango's support in the matter, but she only wished she could belive the same thing. Groaning in frustration at their current situation, she rubbed her temples angrily. _'InuYasha and Kikyou...the jewel still impure...Sango insisting I should spill my guts to the hanyou...'_

And ontop of all that, she was falling drastically behind in her schoolwork. Being her last month of school, the homework was really piling on thick, and it was almost too much for even her, the girl who could do it all, to handle. Kagome sighed again and picked up her pen, prearing to re-write the report, already a day late, that the stupid hanyou kept inturrupting. '_If he's not annoying me in my thoughts, he's annoying me in real life!' _she thought, shaking her head. This entire ordeal was doing nothing to help her already bad mood. As if on cue, a large blur of red burst into her room, looking somewhat disgruntled. "Yo, Kagome, what the hell are you doin?" he asked loudly, looking down at her open notebook.

"Well, I WAS going to finish this paper, before you inturrepted!" 'again!' she thought in dissmay, 'Will I ever get this finished?' InuYasha snorted, not willing to take any disagreement.

"More school stuff, huh? That's no suprise...anyways, wench, we have some work to do-" Kagome cut him off before he could finish.

"Anyways, baka, I have some homework to finish, so I'm not going anywhere until it's done!"

"Wench! Come on, we ain't got time for this homework shit you do, we gotta go figure out that shik-"

"The shikon no tama, yeah yeah, I know!" She replied, annoyed. Whenever he came for her and mentioned the sacred jewel, that awful feeling in the pit of her stomach returned, and she had a pretty good idea why. "But you have to let me study, or..or...or I'll never come back!" She knew this was an obvious lie, and apparently he did too, for he rolled his eyes in non-belief.

"Keh. Now you're lying."

"How do you know? And, what do you care? What's it to you if I never come back? Can't you do _everything_ on your own? You don't even care about me!" The words were out of her mouth before she even had time to realize what she had said, and by the time she did, it was too late. InuYasha blinked slowly, staring at Kagome with a trace of shock.

"Wh-what did you say, wench?" Kagome frowned and looked away, blushing.

"I didn't mean it," she mumbled, embaressed, "it just sorta...slipped out..." InuYasha shook his head. After all those times he'd protected her, the times he'd risked his life to save her, always carrying her around, making sure she was alright...after all of this, and she honestly thought he didn't care about her? He should have been angry, he should have yelled at her, called her an ungrateful wench...but instead, he felt like finding the highest tree in the fudeal era and staying in it for the rest of his life. "Am...am I...upset?' he thought, hardly believing it. He tried to tell himself it was all in his head, but he knew...those words had hurt him. Instead of saying anything at all, he turned and walked away, leaving Kagome standing behind. He made his way slowly to the well house, and jumped into the well before she could come after him.

But not before he smelled her tears.

'_you BAKA!'_ Kagome screamed mentally, pacing around her room, salty tears spilling from her eyes. '_HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? After all he's been through, all that stuff he's done for you..and you have the gall to tell him he doesn't care? You are such a...a...a BAKA!' _She sighed angrily, plopping down on her bed. She grabbed her pillow and burried her face into its soft cotten fabric, not even trying to contain the tears that fell rappidly from her sad brown eyes. Why did she say that? How could she say that? She had only ever wnated to make him happy, to be the reason he smiled...instead, she said something she knew would hurt him. _'you think it's true, don't you?' _a nasty questioning voice in the back of her head asked her. _'you MEANT what you said. You don't think he cares about you.' _She shook her head furiously, sitting up-right in her bed. _'that's riddiculous! I know InuYasha cares about me! He's always protecting me, saving me...'_ she gasped suddenly, as another thought breeched her already full mind. '_it's the jewel! He doesn't want you, need you...he only cares about the jewel.' _But, as soon as the thought had come, she shoved it instantly out of her brain.

"No," she whispered feircely, "He cares about me. I know he does. Even if it's just as a friend, that should be enough."

So why didn't it feel like it was?

InuYasha raced through the forest, seeking the solitude of the Goshinboku. He was used to Kagome's anger, the fights they shared...but this was different. She had taken the one thing he was sure she knew, the one thing he had accomplished in his life so far...taking care of her. And to think it was all because of the sacred jewel? That thought was almost unbearable. Did she have no idea what she did to him, how much she meant to him? '_No,' _he told himself, '_because you never let her in.' _He sighed quietly, something he usually never did, and jumped up into the comferting branches of the God tree. How many times would this happen? Fighting, when they could be...'_together?' _he thought sadly, '_is that what you were thinking? Pathetic hanyou. You can never be together...you don't deserve her.' _It was true, he wasn't worthy of her affection...no one chooses to be with something like him- tainted, vile, half human. She deserved better...better than him. He shoved his hands into the sleeves of his haori, looking up at the moon. _'She didn't mean it,' _he thought forcefully, _'she knows you care about her.' _He shifted uncomfertably on the limb of the tree, trying to convince himself this was the truth. _'It might HELP, baka...' _he thought angrily, '_if you didn't keep sneaking off like that all the time! You know exactally where she thinks you're going, and that just hurts her more!' _

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a horrible person..." he muttered in frustration. He knew he should go talk to her..."Keh! Why the hell should I? SHE needs to aplogize to me! I didn't do nothing!" Of course, she was still under the impression he was sneaking off to see Kikyou...he knew this would happen, and that was his cover. "She has a right to know," he whispered to the moon, eyes reflecting it's silvery glow, "and she will...soon enough."

_**A/N**_

_ohh yeah, first chappie is done. Go me. And...is he really going off to see Kikyou? Hm. You know what people say when you assume things...well, this is the begining of this Inu-story...if I get good feedback, I will try my best to update! Thank you for reading!_


	2. The exterminator and the monk

_**Chapter Two: The Exterminator and the Monk**_

Kagome stood up, glancing around her room hopefully. There were no visible signs that InuYasha had ever decided to stop in and visit, r come back for her, and it had been three days since their...well...she wasn't sure what to call it. '_Oh, man,' _Kagome thought miserably, '_he must really hate me!' _Not that she could blame him. But...if he wasn't such a BAKA! No, she couldn't blame this on him. It was her fault. So she had to fix it. She nodded her head in approval, she made up her mind. She was going back to the feudal era to make things right. She gathered her things slowly, remembering she had a few things yet to finish in her time so this trip would have to be quick. Shoving a few packets of ramen into her bag, she smiled to herself. She knew she couldn't live long without him, even three measly days. For some reason, that discovery gave her comfort. She knew it in her heart, he was the one. Always had been, always would be.

"Bye, mama!" Kagome called out to her mother as she ran towards the well house. "I won't be long!" She opened the door of the small wooden hut and peered cautiously into the well. "Hmm. Maybe I could put this off for a little while..." she gulped nervously. "No. No, I have to go apologize. Now." She told herself this, but couldn't get her legs to respond. "Any minute now, I will go down that well..." She sighed hopelessly. Why was this so hard? It shouldn't be. She swung her legs over the side, and took a deep breath, as if she were about to plunge into and endless sea. "Okay, girl, let's go." she hopped into the well, the time slip engulfing her, and as she floated in the gap between five hundred years, she saw something that made her look twice. "I-InuYasha?" she murmured, shocked. He stood (well, not really STOOD, seeing as they're in this bluish floaty space thingy...) there next to her, looking just as surprised.

"Keh." was all he said in response. Staring at one another, neither of them spoke as their feet landed softly on the ground of the well in the feudal era. She blushed and looked away, hitting herself mental for not thinking about what she was going to say to him.

"Um...InuYasha, I just...I came here to..." InuYasha stood, silently, waiting for her. He was so used to that now, waiting...just for her. "Well, what I mean is...I...what I said earlier..." InuYasha snorted.

"Don't choke on it." There was a trace of seriousness in his voice, and not the slightest bit of sarcasm. He wasn't going to ignore this any more than she was.

"I'm...I'm so sorry." She could feel her eyes sting with tears, but she didn't dare let them fall down her cheeks. InuYasha shifted uncomfortably, always unsure what to say to that.

"Don't worry bout it. No harm done." Kagome looked up, an expression of complete and total shock on her face.

"I...I...InuYasha?" Was he...being nice? Since when had he been this forgiving. He blushed and turned his back to her. Their feet touched ground, and Kagome wasn't really sure if they were in the feudal era or still in her time. InuYasha sniffed and grunted contently, which Kagome took as a sign that they were back in InuYasha'a time.

"Are you gettin on, or are we gonna spend the whole day down here?" Kagome felt herself smile, and hopped on his back.

"InuYasha? Umm...th-thank you..." He snorted. She sighed contently, and didn't see the grin growing on the hanyou's face.

Sango looked up suddenly, grinning. Approaching Kaede's hut slowly were one smiling, up-beat teenage girl and one seemingly disgruntled hanyou. She stood and waved at her friends, and Kagome smiled and returned the gesture. It was true, Kagome loved her visits to her era, but she always missed Sango while she was away. She thought of Sango as more than just another friend...she was truly her sister. As she neared the exterminator, she studied her face curiously- Sango was a naturally happy person, but at the moment she was positively glowing. Before Kagome had a chance to investigate, Sango pulled her gently aside. She leaned in and whispered,

"We should talk!" Kagome smiled and turned back to InuYasha.

"I'll be right back." InuYasha snorted.

"Keh." Kagome and Sango began to walk away, and InuYasha stared after them. "But you better not go too far! We got work to-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Kagome called in response, glad they were back to normal after their small (yet painful) feud. "Ignore him. So, what do you want to talk about?" Sango lead Kagome to a tree and sat down against it's solid trunk, quickly scanning the vicinity for listening ears. When she was sure there was no one but herself and Kagome, she turned to face her friend eagerly.

"I was so excited, I couldn't wait for you to get back! If I don't tell someone soon, I think I might explode!" Kagome stared at Sango in bewilderment- it was adorable, she was acting like an elementary school kid with a crush! What could have possibly made her this giddy? "It happened last night," she began to explain, a dreamy expression on her face. "I was sitting in Kaede's hut, trying to sleep..."

_flashback_

_Sango sat against the wall of the hut, contemplating. She had given up on sleep a while ago, and took this time of the night to think. There was, after all, a lot to think about...Kohaku still missing, the shikon no tama not working...and, of course, InuYasha and Kagome. She shook her head, smiling. How could two people possibly be that clueless? Everyone else knew how they felt about each other, so why didn't they just do something about it? She sighed heavily- she was being hypocritical. She never confessed her love to the monk. She knew she loved him, and she was positive he knew it too. But what had she ever done about it? When had she ever told him...would it be too late? As if one cue, a silluote appeared in the doorway of the hut, yanking her roughly back to reality. She stood only to find that the figure in the doorway was none other than the very same monk she had just been thinking about. She smiled politely at him, until she got a better look at his face. He was staring almost bashfully at the ground, refusing to meet her gaze. There was defiantly something different about him, but what was it? _'Miroku? Nervous?' _ Sango thought, laughing inwardly. _'that would never happen...' _He spoke softly, but seriously, like he had come into that hut for a reason._

_"Sango? Would you take a walk with me?" Sango looked at him, confused. Why would he be coming into her hut in the middle of the night to ask her to take a walk? There had to be a catch...nevertheless, she agreed and followed him out of the hut and into the cool, brisk night. The air hit them immediately, she could hardly believe how chilly it had gotten. The moon shone down on them silently, basking them in a calming silvery light. They walked a short distance without speaking, an unusual awkwardness filling the gap between the, and all the things unsaid were frightingly obvious at that moment. Miroku seemed oddly distraught, he still wouldn't look Sango in the eye. She stopped walking and touched his shoulder lightly._

_"Houshi-sama? Are you alright?" He turned to face her, a serious and loving look in his eyes. _

_"Sango..." Sango looked at him blankly._

_"Yes?"_

_"Sango... he said again, now unable to break her gaze. Her face flushed, and she suddenly regretted her decision to take this "walk". Silence filled the air once more, and this time it was Miroku who broke it. He took her hand in his and started to speak. "Sango, I know I can be a bit...overzealous when it comes to women." Sango held back a snort- if that wasn't an understatement, she didn't know what was. "And I know I'm not always the easiest person to trust, but..." he got down on one knee, still holding Sango's hand. "The battle of Naraku has ended, and as I promised it is time I confess my true feelings. I want to spend my life with you. I want to settle down, and start a family, and stop all of this...womanizing. You are so important to me, Sango. I...I love you. Will...will you marry me?" Sango couldn't believe her ears. She swore her heart stopped dead in her chest- her brain was telling her to respond, to say something, but her mouth couldn't form the words. She stared at him, shocked, and he stared back, eyes full of hope. She felt tears of absolute joy well up in her dark eyes, and she leapt suddenly at the monk, embracing him warmly. _

_"There is nothing I want more than to spend all of my days...as your wife." Miroku's face split into a grin, and his lips met hers, creating a kiss that was long overdue._

_end flashback_

Kagome's jaw dropped as Sango finished her story, and placed her hand on her heart.

"Oh, Sango! That's wonderful!" She exclaimed, embracing her friend. Sango stepped back, smiling.

"Thank you!" She cleared her throat. "If only _everyone _could follow in example..." Kagome sighed, not wanting this discussion again, and Sango let it drop. It was nice her friend cared, but...she had come to realize that any hope of a relationship between her and InuYasha was never going to happen...as long as Kikyou remained in his heart.

Miroku approached the base of the Goshinboku tree cautiously, peering up into its branches. He caught sight of red cloth and grinned.

"InuYasha!" He called out merrily. "Come down! I have some exciting news I wish to share with you!" InuYasha groaned and hopped down from his current branch, looking at Miroku with a blank expression.

"What is it, Monk?" Miroku smiled.

"Well, as you know, I seem to have quite the gift when it comes to the female gender." InuYasha rolled his eyes impatiently, ready (and willing) to whip out his tetsusiga.

"Is this some kind of speech? Cuz I ain't got the time!" Miroku shook his head, smiling still.

"No, InuYasha, it is a matter of up most importance." InuYasha looked at him suspiciously, studying his expression.

"You're actin' weird, monk, and I don't mean your usual weird." Miroku only smiled, his eyes distant and glassy.

"I won't bore you with the details," he said, unaware that the hanyou had even spoken, "but the gist of it is...I asked Sango to marry me." InuYasha's expression didn't change, he stared at Miroku blankly. Miroku continued, lost in his thoughts. "And she graciously accepted! We are soon-to-be husband and wife!" InuYasha's eyebrows raised. _'Man, Sango,' _he thought, _ 'I wouldda thought you had more sense than that!' _

"Well, I hope you aren't excepting a congratulations...cuz you ain't gettin' it.: Mikoru merely nodded contently and walked away, that stupid smile still on his face. InuYasha snorted in disgust. _'Stupid love-struck monk...' _He hopped back up into the tree, pondering the new couple. _'if only Sango could see how crazy she makes this guy.' _ Leaning against the great old tree, he sighed with discontent. _'But...if you were with Kagome, you'd be like that too.' _ He knew it was true- she was the happiness in his life, and if he could love her...but what was the point? He fought this battle with himself far too much, always the same old thing- could Kagome ever love him? For some reason, a small part of him had some bit of hope, and he didn't understand why. There was no hope, no chance at all...there was nothing more than raw passion and pointless yearning, a tainted soul that longed for something so pure.

_**A/N:**_

_ohhh my neck! That was a painful chapter! Okay, so there we have the engagement...whoooo. It's late and I'm tired, thanks a ton for the reviews and all! I love to hear some feedback on this thing! Ummm, well, expect some more soon! Thanks!_


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